Four Years Ago [Roku, flashback, p, nk]

Posts : 260 Join date : 2017-11-09

The memory blocks were coming undone. This happened once every few years, and it was annoying as hell. Also dangerous, as it turned out. He didn't know which one of the blocks true danger lay behind (although he suspected it was the biggest one, which was still tight shut, thank god). Still, the landscape of his mind was pock-marked with gaps and spaces that showed him the evidence of his own tampering. Why he'd decided to wipe out his own select memories, he couldn't remember for the life of him. A deterrent, he supposed, to digging too far into his past and regretting it later. Well, whatever. Today there was a sale at the liquor store, and he intended to make it there before dark. He'd have to deal with the memory blocks under the influence of that divine drink, of course. Couldn't do without it.

Well, it was useful that he could now remember some of his jutsu, at least until he cut them out of his head again. To this effect, he'd teleport to the park. He'd left seals all over the village, although he noted that by now, some of them had worn away. The teleport tired him more than he cared to. Maybe he'd gotten rusty over the years, stopped doing his chakra excersizes. As if in guilt, he began to circulate his chakra slightly, warming his body against the mountain cold. Well, from here it was only a few blocks' walk to his favorite liquor place. Only a few streets away from peaceful oblivion. Hopefully, he wouldn't meet anyone on the way...
[1/5 chakra training]

Subject: Re: Four Years Ago [Roku, flashback, p, nk] Sat Mar 24, 2018 1:59 pm

Four Years Ago [Roku, flashback, p, nk] Pbucket

Four Years Ago [Roku, flashback, p, nk] 91d1684c7d215a9663545f616f03e4fd--black-hair-durarara

The Adventures of a Troubled Boy

The boy was ten years old. He stood at 4'7" and a whopping 70 pounds. Leaner than most adult males, his muscles were defined, even at that age. He could not help himself but to spar with the boys who went to the academy. Though he himself did not go, and would never go, he liked to spar with his "friends" who went. Roku was never sure about calling them his friends, because he was almost never sure if their parents were paid to keep them around Roku. The merchant lord who took care of him, who Roku was never allowed to address directly, had been known to rig things like this in Roku's favor before. So he could show Roku's parents, who Roku had yet to meet, that Roku was being taken care of.

Roku was carrying a large crate. Far too large for a boy of his age to be carrying. But due to his unusual physical prowess at that age, and his determination to carry the box, Roku had managed it by using his chakra to enhance his endurance. A trick he'd learned from a friend in the academy. So, Roku used this as an excuse and an opportunity to practice chakra control. But he'd never be a ninja. Never. His parents were ninja, and they were the worst of the worst. They left him with a stranger. A stranger that they have regular contact with, but absolutely refuse to have contact with Roku. The crate Roku carried had a delivery of Kunai in it, for the local tavern and it's body guards.

Deciding it would be smarter to take a shortcut, Roku cut through the park. There were paths that wound around, most likely for dog walking or exercise, and Roku stuck to the paths to avoid damaging his rather pristine black suit. He was vain, the only real characteristic he'd picked up from his lordish lifestyle. The pleasantries, the speech patterns, and his posture were all faked, finally used because he gave up in resisting the feudal lord's teachings. He was grateful for the chakra control techniques his friends had taught him, for without them, he'd no doubt have given up on carrying the crate an hour ago, and he'd be freezing. I suppose that's what I get for forgetting to say 'milord' when speaking to a noble. This was, indeed, a punishment.

Before long, Roku would bump into a man, if that man did not move out of the way, for lack of an ability to see over the large crate he was carrying. He vaguely recognized him as one of the influential ninja in the village. Whether he avoided the mistaken bump or not, Roku would, afraid of further punishment, apologize profusely. "Oh, I am terribly sorry milord. I was unable to see over my load, it was definitely my mistake. I'm sorry sir, I will be more careful next time, I should have been more aware of my whereabouts regardless." Roku would freeze, awaiting a response, chakra still circulating to protect himself from the cold and from giving up on carrying the delivery of kunai.

[Chakra training 1/5]

Posts : 260 Join date : 2017-11-09

No sooner had he arrived in the park, then he was hit by a milennial. No, on second glance, was this... a goddamn centennial? Shit, he hated kids. Well, this one must be in the academy, since there was no way in hell they'd let normal errand boys carry around boxes of military equipment. Still, it wasn't like he could take take his wrath out on the poor boy. Firstly, he'd probably get in huge trouble since he was sober. Maybe if he got reaaaaaaally drunk... but no, that wasn't worth it in the slightest. Secondly, the kid was polite.

Hahahaha, what? Polite children, in this day and age? What a rarity. Truly, it was as if a miracle had happened, he thought to himself semi-sarcastically.
"Don't stress it, kid. I'm just..." A retiree, was what he should have said, but he finished with "... an old-timer." With the beard, age, and changed eye color, it wasn't likely that the boy recognized him from the public photos of him in the library. He'd objected to those being put up, but the idiots in PR had insisted.
If the kid did recognize him, though, he was probably in for it. People who knew him once kept peppering him with obnoxious questions whenever they saw him in public, which was rare. He could, of course, just genjutsu them, but that rarely turned out well for him. Yeah, sure, he was okay with illusions. You kinda had to be if you took on stealth missions of the higher order. The problem was that, again, actions had consequences.
I feel like a dog just waiting to be put down, he thought to himself. This academy kid still has his while life before him; he'd damn well better not waste it.
You could just take him for yourself, something told him. Use that jutsu. He'll fall into your power just like the others did.
Of course, he always ignored the voices. Hell if he knew where they came from. The fine paradise of alcohol kept them away, so it was bearable. Hell, even without drinking, he had the practice and determination to remain sane.
Nevertheless, Kozai wasn't merciless. If it wasn't for the inebriation and dislike of newfangled things, Kozai would probably have become a rather beloved figure.

"Errr... Say, kid, you need help?" It was the least he could do to repay his clearly well trained etiquette. Also, it was a point of shame for Kozai. How had he allowed himself to get hit? He must be getting rusty.
[2/5 chakra training]

Subject: Re: Four Years Ago [Roku, flashback, p, nk] Mon Mar 26, 2018 4:54 pm

The Adventures of a Troubled Boy

Recovering from the slight bump, as Roku was just a small boy at the time, Roku was relieved to hear the man was not too upset. If the man had been, and decided to report that to the Lord of the House, Roku would definitely be punished. Roku was to never disrespect any people outside the manor, and definitely not those who were older or of higher station. It was one of the first rules he learned, and the only rule he made doubly sure to never break. Roku had to look down at his clothing to be sure he had not torn or damaged his rather expensive suit in the bump. He knew he probably hadn’t, but he was raised in an environment of paranoia, and every negative encounter, he was taught, always had a negative consequence. Always. “Thank you milord. I promise I’ll be more careful next time.” Roku offered a smile to the man, one he would hopefully return. Though, from what seemed to be the mood of the man, Roku was not sure if he’d receive it.

The young boy cocked his head slightly as the older man offered to help carry his burden. Roku’s first instinct was to ask “why?” In the estate, where Roku spent most of his time, it was odd for an elder to even give the slightest damn about a youngling, and sometimes, Roku forgot how different the culture was on the… “outside.” I have to get away from there… they’re draining the life out of me. All these people seem happy and I’m here living on questions, lies, and pretenses. And indeed, he was. There was no such thing, in the estate, as a one hundred percent truthful interaction. Someone always told a lie. Or pretended to laugh. Or fake smiled. Or told someone they looked great when both parties knew the obvious truth.

Instead, Roku politely declined the man’s offer as he struggled with the crate he was supposed to carry, shifting its position to be on his shoulder instead of held out in front of him, and he sighed in relief as the burn eased in his muscles. He was still circulating chakra to help compensate for the lack of strength to carry the shipment, but that did not stop his muscles from burning from it. It was a state of perpetual strain on his muscles, and he could tell from the burn that, were it not for his chakra, which he possessed immense control of for not having undergone any formal training, he would have given up long ago. “No, but thank you milord.” Roku nearly continued on his way, but realized he only knew the general area of the tavern he was looking for. “Er… milord, would you happen to know where “The Loopy Fist” tavern is? That’s where I need to take this.”

[Chakra training 2/5]

Posts : 260 Join date : 2017-11-09

Again with the "milord". Well, there was no helping it if it was such a deeply ingrained habit. Nevertheless, who sent a kid to do heavy lifting in a formal suit? This wasn't just your normal kind of nice-looking jacket (thought doing manual labor in those was absurd as well). This was like the dress suit kind of deal. Well, this either meant that the kid had an obsession with professionalism, which was a viable but unlikely option, or whatever environment he lived in mandated this kind of attire and behavior. Was it merely just a dress code, or was it some kind of weird f-

No, no way, right? Surely, this kid wasn't the "property" of some lazy-ass commercial fellow. They didn't do that kind of thing anymore, right?! Well, if they did, that only affirmed Kozai's suspicions about the modern age. Things didn't change, or if they did, they never changed for the better.

"Ehrrrr... the 'Loopy Fist', huh?" Why he was headed to that shithole of a dump, Kozai had no idea. "Well, it's that way..." he pointed down the street. "... I happen to be headed around that area myself." As they (assumably) started walking, Kozai would continue to figure out how to get the chakra back into his atrophied tissue, inactive from years of disuse.

"So, kid", he's start, assuming that they were on their way down the street, "you're an academy student, right? How is it nowadays?"
[chakra training 3/5]

Subject: Re: Four Years Ago [Roku, flashback, p, nk] Tue Mar 27, 2018 11:04 pm

The Adventures of a Troubled Boy

The question that Kozai asked irritated Roku, but he did not show it. Roku was a very, very good faker when it came to his emotions, and putting on a fake smile, but if Kozai was perhaps an even better people-reader, he could pick up on Roku’s irritation and discomfort. The irritation was not necessarily directed at Kozai, but Kozai did cause Roku to remember the conversation he’d had earlier with the Lord of the House. Why does every-damn-thing come back to that fucking academy? I don’t want to be a part of it! Roku was surprised by his own thoughts. He knew full well that his thoughts never actually matched the fake words he regurgitated at people, but even he was shocked by the venom in his mind’s voice.

But, it was rude to not reply to Kozai’s question, so after a brief moment of considering his answer, Roku decided that the truth could not hurt. “Well, no milord, actually I am not a part of the academy, and I don’t think I plan to be.” Of course, the Lord of the House would reprimand Roku for vocalizing an opinion that differed from his own, which baffled Roku. The man actually called Roku his heir, and fully expected Roku to take over his business when he became too old or died. And yet he did not expect Roku to think for himself? It was a silly concept. “No sir, I’m just the heir to-“ if Roku mentioned the merchant’s name, Kozai would recognize it as assuredly as Lebron James would recognize “Nike.” “- a merchant. He’s been teaching me about his business.” Of course, in said merchant’s eyes, he thought he was teaching Roku. Roku didn’t buy it.

Roku wondered sometimes if he was a slave. Or a servant. Or a mixture of both. Or how his parents thought it was a good idea to put Roku under the man’s care. Roku wasn’t treated cruelly – he just had no opportunity for individuality. He did not get beaten, physically, though all senses of “Roku” were replaced by some bureaucratic drone. Roku wondered what was worse. He began to ask the man of his own occupation before suddenly realizing he had not introduced himself. He considered it for a moment, before reluctantly deciding it was in his best interests. “I’m sorry milord, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Roku.” Of house Enzoka, he was supposed to finish. But he left that detail out. Roku’s chakra wavered for the briefest of moments and he stumbled attempted to keep up with Kozai’s longer legs. Regaining control of his chakra, and refusing to complain, Roku regained his balance, and caught up with Kozai, this time managing to keep pace unless he sped up.

Posts : 260 Join date : 2017-11-09

What, not part of the academy? The merchant must be pretty high up there, indeed. The village didn't exactly trust any old business to handle their weapons and supplies for the shinobi. Without even wanting to, his mind had already narrowed down the list of places that this kid could be working at. Shit, that was a bad habit. Dissecting people was what had gotten him into some trouble a while ago.
...
Wait, literally? Damn, he had to get these memory blocks re-done. Although he couldn't remember why he'd been doing that kind of bizarre experiment, its proximity to the "really big memory block" could only mean that it was something dangerous.

What bothered Kozai even more, though, was the kid's name. "Roku"? Jesus, what kind of parents named their kid that? The number 6 was considered unlucky amongst many cultures around the village, so he couldn't possibly imagine why a couple would want to saddle their son with that. It'd be like naming your kid "D'd'darius", which was a name Kozai had legitimately heard before. Well, he supposed that it was a matter of privacy that the kid didn't give his surname. In that case, Kozai supposed, he should respond in kind.

Or, maybe not. After all, giving out his name tended to have a wide variety of reactions, from simple surprise, to "thank you for your service", to hysterical ranting. He didn't know what he'd done to deserve all of this. To be honest, living the rest of his unusually long life in peace was one of his greatest ambitions, if it could even be called that. Still, it would be rude to this very well-mannered kid if he didn't respond.

"Name's Kozai." He didn't know what kind of names were floating about, now. As they crossed a street (the chakra reaching the deadened tissue in his legs), he hoped that the kid wouldn't recognize him. He didn't quite know how to react if he did.
[Chakra training 4/5]

Subject: Re: Four Years Ago [Roku, flashback, p, nk] Thu Mar 29, 2018 7:42 pm

The Adventures of a Troubled Boy

It was refreshing to Roku to be able to act like a human being rather than a robot incapable of acting on anything other than a few algorithms specifically programmed into him for specific purposes and circumstances, and the kid loved it. This was probably a meaningless interaction for Kozai, but Roku felt like he was doing something wrong, something dirty… exhilarating. The thought of it pushed adrenaline through his system, imagining all the things he could do when alone in the village that he couldn’t do at any other time, and the though of it was wondrous. And I’d never be caught… but I’m not the rebellious type. It’s not worth it.

The kid’s head began to throb. Controlling chakra for these long periods of time was not fun, nor easy, and the concentration he had to maintain to do it was mentally painful. He wondered how ninja ever got to the point that they could do it near-subconsciously. Little did he know, he would eventually become one of the most powerful ninja of his generation. Sooner, rather than later, Roku’s current life would seem like a distant and unattainable memory, something he once dreamed of. Fleeting, and constantly losing its ability to keep a hold on him. One day, he would hesitate to call himself a Kumogakure citizen, let alone a Kumogakure ninja, but he was completely sure right now that he’d never become a Ninja at all. One day, he’d be alone, and scared, and the person he hated the most in the world would be dead. And he’d have nothing but grief for the man, for the life and home he represented.

When Kozai identified himself, at first it didn’t mean much to Roku. It was just another name to assign to another face. But then, Kozai’s real identity dawned on Roku. He was a war hero. That didn’t mean much to Roku – he was not involved in the village’s defenses, and he himself lived outside the village, on the homestead where the noble had his own private garrison of guards and a miniature community. It only meant that Roku had to be even more respectful. He couldn’t risk stepping out of line here. “Ah, sorry milord, I had no recognized you. I am sorry for inconveniencing you in this manner. If you wish, I would most certainly not take offense to your leaving.” Inwardly, Roku hoped Kozai did not leave. The places like the bar he was going to tended to give him trouble.

[Chakra Training 4/5]

Posts : 260 Join date : 2017-11-09

Great, so the kid thought he was really some kind of big shot. Well, this was bound to go well. With chagrin, he realized that he should probably have gone out under cover of night... another big oversight on his part. Well, nothing could be done about it now.

Besides, HE wasn't the war hero.

"Like I said before, kid, don't stress it." To his chagrin, he realized that the millennial music artists were right after all. It SUCKS being famous for any reason.Well, there was no chance this kid knew what his specific activities during the war had been, other than the fact that he'd saved their army in a mountain battle. It was the public story that had been released, and although it was true, it in no way represented the bulk of Kozai's contribution to the war effort.

Stories of spontaneous child suicide bombers, young abominations tearing into enemy lines only to decay and die a few hours later... these had been a few of Kozai's "gifts" to the enemy. Naturally, he'd used street children, refugee kids and brats abducted directly from enemy territory, not REAL citizens. Kids nobody would miss, right? Well, at least from a wartime standpoint, it made perfect sense. He'd only done what his superiors had ordered him to do, although he couldn't say for sure whether he had disagreed with them or not. Even now, he believed that ethics were generally inconvenient.

"In fact", he continued, talking to Roku, "this is the first time I've spoken face-to-face with someone in... three years? Maybe?" The last time had been some stupid salesman that hadn't gotten the memo that the drunken guy on the second floor was NOT to be fucked with.
[5/5]

Subject: Re: Four Years Ago [Roku, flashback, p, nk] Fri Apr 06, 2018 10:15 pm

The Adventures of a Troubled Boy

Kozai, huh? I don’t know much about the Kozai guy, I just know he got some kind of award in the war… It was odd to Roku that someone of a higher stature than he was showing him kindness – not refinement, or class, but kindness nonetheless. In a strange sort of way. Roku was taught that kindness to someone of a lower stature than yourself was not a requirement. In fact, in some cases, Roku was looked at and chastised because he did not see himself to have the “stature” that he supposedly did, and he talked rather nicely to the manor servants. It frustrated him when he got into trouble for being kind, and was lectured on how he should act like he was from the Enzoka clan, and allow himself some “dignity.” If dignity and cruelty are synonymous, then I do not care about my pride.

It was odd to Roku that Kozai claimed he had not had any human contact, and for the slightest second, worry flashed across his eyes. It was brief, but it was there, and it was noticeable. Why has he been alone for so long? The only people I know of who do things like that are… well, quite frankly, crazy. Do I need to book it…? But something held the boy in place. To calm his nervous, he circulated his chakra, but now did it more furiously, in order to cause the sensory of it to draw the attention of his psyche. He wasn’t completely fearful – but he did realize he was not exactly safe at the moment. Roku then spoke up. “So… milord… where did you say this pub was again?” It wasn’t that Roku didn’t trust the man, which quite frankly he didn’t, but that wasn’t odd for him. But he had cause to worry.

5/5 Chakra training.

» My Years In Review [FLASHBACK]
» Suddenly, Five Years!
» Jutsu Training: One Thousand Years of Death
» Flash Back (Academy Years) training thread Part 1
» Flash Back (Chuunin Years/Training Jutsu) Part 1